Clippers 87, Detroit 83: Lob City Ledger

18 Mar 2012

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The jerseys changed, but this was practically the same game we saw yesterday against the Rockets. We’ll have more analysis on this game coming soon, but for now, here’s my Lob City Ledger over at ESPNLA.com:

Blake Griffin 7-13 FG | 3-7 FT | 11 REB | 1 AST | 17 PTS | +8

GRADE: B

Detroit’s burly frontline rarely made anything easy, but Blake Griffin still proved to be difficult to stop with his twisting, unorthodox nature around the rim. Griffin is never going to lead a footwork clinic for big men, but his relentless banging down low wore the Pistons out and eventually resulted in a huge putback that sent the game to overtime.

Chris Paul 8-14 FG | 2-2 FT | 9 REB | 15 AST | 19 PTS | +14

GRADE: A-

Chris Paul was flawless in what he calls “winning time.” After watching the offense sputter for the majority of the game, Paul took matters into his own hands by sticking multiple pullup jumpers that Detroit had no chance of stopping. Paul’s shove of Ben Gordon to secure a critical late jump ball is the perfect example of why he’s so good late. Paul just wants it more.

DeAndre Jordan 4-4 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | -4

GRADE: C-

DeAndre Jordan’s defensive performance is representative of the Clippers’ woes as a whole. Even when the effort is there, Jordan makes silly mistakes that can only be attributed to a lack of preparation. How many times can you let a dominant left-handed player like Greg Monroe beat you by going left? The first rule of defense is to know your personnel. Jordan rarely does.

Offensive

GRADE: C-

Detroit is one of the league’s worst defensive units, but you wouldn’t know it by the way the Clippers struggled to score. The scouting report is out on this team, and coaches all over the league are finding ways to adjust and slow the Clippers down — even with inferior personnel. Paul was brilliant late yet again, but why are the Clippers even in these situations?

Detroit Pistons

GRADE: B

The Pistons may not be a playoff team, but they have a center that can lead them there eventually. Greg Monroe went right at Blake Griffin in the game’s most critical moments and found so much success that Griffin had to be pulled from the game. Are the Clippers getting everyone’s best shot? Maybe, but there’s still no excuse for letting a jumbled Pistons team hang around.

DeMote DeAndre

The Clippers pulled it out inspite of DeAndre Jordan scoring a combined zero pointe in hte second half and overtime and despite Jordan having the worst +/- of any starter with a -4 and inspite of his having only 2 rebounds compared with Monroe’s 15.
- http://barmapla.com FD
  
  The Clippers have bigger problems than DJ. DJ only played 25 mintues and the Clippers should have been able to win this and the last game easier. The Clippers were playing Blake griffin at center at the end of the 4th and OT. Chauncy basically said it, VDN needs to go.
  - http://www.hyperboreans.com/heterodoxia Zammael
    
    Chauncey said what, exactly?
    
    I never thought he was a clubhouse lawyer.
DeMote DeAndre

Detroit completely ignored Jordan in the first few minutes and that is when he scored 7 of his 9 points, all from wide open close in shots. Then the defense adjusted and Jordan was completely shut down except for one wide open second quarter dunk.
DeMote DeAndre

Denver waived Ronny Turiaf today. He’s better than Jordan.
Mario

Can we please trade these lob city clowns for Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson.
Scott

I was at the game…..our 4th quarter offense consisted of isos and high screens for cp3. Can we get more creative with the offense ? Without CP3′s late game heroics this would have been another loss.
- Ron
  
  basically no. you’d think with these guys playing ball all their lives you could implement something simple. But Vinny either isn’t smart enough to know what these guys should be able to do or these players are smart enough to do it. This hero ball will be their demise
  - Clips4
    
    I have been saying that all season long but I keep getting negatives on my comment. Tim and Jason, I have said all along that hero ball with CP3 will be the ultimate demise of this team because if the opposing teams get the ball out of CP’s hands, nobody else can create a shot for themselves.
- http://www.800loanmart.com/ ClipsFan
  
  Yes, I was at the game too. It was nice to see CP3 pull it off like so many times before, but the Clippers can’t live and die by CP3..
http://crimelaw crimelaw

Caron 3 for 16. He’s been inconsistent at best recently. Simmons a non-factor offensively. Mo 2 for 10 & recently struggling. Nick Young is 6 foot 7, can defend small forwards & can not only shoot,but can go one on one to make his own shot.He can easily play 2 guard & small forward. He’s going to have to play a lot & get the ball more if the Clips are going to have a chance to make the playoffs much less contend.Also agree the other writers that De’Andre is going to have to commit himself to working harder to become any kind of player on offense & defense. I think he should start by watching his teammate Reggie Evans position himself to get rebounds & how hard he works on defense. Blake just looks confused & unhappy. Probably first time in his life things haven’t gone perfectly on the court.His passing & decision making need work& he needs to be more patient. He just seems incapable of making adjustments in his game at this time. Oh well, they did win & that’s a significant improvement over the past.
- Clips4
  
  I give Young a pass today even though I didn’t see the game, but because it was his first game with the team. It will take time for him to jell with the team.
- Rich
  
  7-13, 17 points and 11 rebounds. Now if that doesn’t say confused, I don’t know what does.
  
  Honestly, it’s as if some of you think he should already be as good as Karl Malone was at the peak of his career or something.
tom

A few things…I do not like Blake Griffins attitude. He sulks…he whines…there’s no leadership skills. I would trade him for K. LOVE in a heart beat. AND we need to bench C. BUTLER. Is there a worst shooter in the league? AND THEY KEEP FEEDING HIM AT CRUNCH TIME! This team is heartless except for PAUL who is going to split as soon as he can at this rate.
- Ron
  
  I must say he turns me off this year. His post game is sorely lacking fundamentals. He all athleticism. He spins pump fakes and the defender hardly bites. He jumps off the wrong foot to float it in sometimes. His footwork overall needs help. He can practice the jumpshots but he needs to work with someone of his footing. He does sulk and its so annoying. It takes him out of the game. He’s already a bad defender, but after not getting a call he’s a ball watcher on D. His 3rd year he better make some serious strides to change these things
  - Clips4
    
    Although I would much rather have Kevin Love right now on this team, Blake’s ceiling is much higher. He needs to check his ego out the door and go hard at it like he did last year. He also needs to see Hakeem Olajuwon this summer to work on his post game. Maybe talk to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
    - Pat
      
      Truth. We don’t even know what his ceiling is. He needs work, and maybe an attitude adjustment, but dude cares about winning and he’s on the right track. Bring in the Dream.
  - Pat
    
    Yeah, I really hated when he tipped in that shot to save the game. That was THE WORST.
MV22

CP3 is better than words can describe. What exactly does he have to do to get an A-??? His line was 19, 9 and 15. He had a few steals, including that crucial one down the stretch that turned into a foye layup and he made every clutch shot in the overtime. I don’t understand what happened to Butler’s shot. Early in the season he was so accurate and now he can’t hit the water from a boat. Looks like Young is going to help. He played well defensively and his offense is going to help. When he gets integrated into the offense, this team will be much better. Blake Griffin is NOT the problem. He’s in his second year and the league has adjusted to him. By next year he should adjust to the league. In the meantime, any team in the league would love him right now even if he never improves from here on (which he will). Jordan is going to get better but he’s very young and lacks experience. Patience. The Clips are probably not a championship contender this season, although I’ll reserve judgement on that to see how the team looks with Young in the starting lineup. 14 and 6 with Billups (playing). 9 and 11 without his presence. 2 and 0 with him on the bench.
- Rich
  
  Great point on “even if he never improves.”
  
  Even if Griffin remains this and this only for the rest of his career he’s still going to be a double-digit all-star and a hall of famer. And yet, just not good enough for some around here. Legitimate 20-10 guys are rare (the phrase gets thrown around a lot, but so often it’s used on guys who have probably never actually average 20-10 for a single season, let alone a career). As you see, there are exactly 3 in the league this year, and four last year and Griffin is one of them.
  - Clips4
    
    If Blake does not improve his game, he can be dominant like this for another 4-5 years and then his body will start betraying him as his athleticism goes down. He needs to develop an old man game to maximize his athletic gifts, otherwise he will turn into a poor man’s Amare Stoudemire.
Max Powers

There are barely words to describe the abomination that is our offense. Pick and roll with three other guys standing around. Seriously.
- Rich
  
  I have three words that describe it well.
  
  Vinny Del Negro.
  
  Even the worst defensive teams in the league can figure out how to stop you when you do exactly one thing ando ne thing only. The only times they actually look good on offense is when the 3 is falling. But they no longer manufacture open and easy shots because of the offense. The only times guys get good, easy looks is when they do it through 1 on 1 play.
  
  It’s pick and roll, every time down the court. With no movement. All season long. How Vinny Del Negro has a job is beyond me.
NRM

The guys are tired. Thats one reason we’ve been losing so much lately. We dont have 2 consecutive days off until damn near the season ends.
Rich

Honestly, the amount flack Blake Griffin takes around is pretty amazing. Year number two, two all-star games already, putting up a PER of over 23…and you want more.

No, he isn’t as good as Kevin Love…of course Kevin Love isn’t in year number 2, is he? If you would like see Kevin Love’s numbers in his second year…well, they aren’t quite as good, and that’s an understatement.

Seriously, the guy is in his sophomore year and is so far and away above the rest of that class it’s not even funny. And yet, he upsets you? He whines to much? He needs to be traded? It’s stunning really.

And, as a CLE fan, I’m getting the sense I got when people would talk about James. They would mention how he wasn’t as skilled with his footwork as other players (like, erm, Melo) and people would mention how he was all “athletic ability.” I never understood this, because the object of the game is to put the ball in the basket as efficiently as possible. Honestly, that’s what it boils down to. So if Blake Griffin does 26 twists and turns on a possession and looks terrible, but still manages to put the ball in the hoop because he’s so athletic, is that somehow not as good as a guy who has the greatest footwork in the history of the world, but doesn’t score as efficiently?

And finally, Blake Griffin has looked this good while playing under THE WORST OFFENSIVE COACH IN THE LEAGUE. It’s not the players who can’t run anything else, it’s VDN. I know this because I can see Chicago now vs. Chicago under VDN, and I see the exact same thing. Blake Griffin has his own coach working against him, and yet he’s still an offensive force at the PF position matched only by one other player in the league at that position (make that two, I and everyone else keep forgetting Dirk still plays the PF spot). In year 2. But yea, he’s no good…
- Pat
  
  Word.
- Phil
  
  his flaws are things that can be fixed easily. it’s not like we’re telling him to work on his game. we’re just telling him to stop being a whiner. what’s so hard about that? do you know how tremendously his game will improve if he improves his approach to it? this is something beyond the stats. if he wants to be a leader act like one. he’s been getting better the past two games and i’m glad someone on the team, randy foye, said something about it. i’m not trying to watch a team of divas out on the floor, this ain’t project runway.
Griffin

wow so much negativity. they did this they did that. arent we nit picking now. just be glad they got the win. although they shuld have won this game big they didnt lose. this season is gonna have its lows. too many games and we are expecting to much. all the teams that have been together for years have been winning more games like okc spurs and bulls. I give everyone a pass this season becuz of its schedule except vdn. Vdn has been here since last year with the same game plan but more talent. id expect him to do better with a better roster but he doesnt. hes gone after the playoffs and we get a new coach and we then see what we are really made.
Meohmy

Blake’s problem is Del Negro. He puts him in horrible positions and doesn’t emphasize the post game. Nor does he seem to encourage him to shoot jumpshots closer in. Also CP3 takes away from what Blake does best. He doesnt pysj the te.po and for some reason doesnt throw him lobs when he’s calling for them.

I hope Blake can somehow end up Chicago or Brooklyn w/ DWill.
Meohmy

meant to say cp doesnt push tempo. He’s always slowing the game down. For Blake to reach his potential, he needs to get away from CP.

The only things Love does bettet than Blake is shoot and rebound. BG is the bettet ball handler and passer, but doesnt get to show it with Vinny and CP. For the sake of his career I hope he does get traded
- Clips4
  
  You’re probably not a Clipper fan, that’s why. Kevin Love has a higher basketball IQ than Blake does. Kevin Love is on par with Blake as a passer. Blake is more physical, athletic, and a better ball handler than Love. At least Love does not scowl at refs for every non-call and does not pick up stupid technical fouls.
  - Meohmy
    
    hopefully you’ll get your wish and Blake will leave this loser franchise
  - Jazzclip5
    
    No Kevin love doesn’t scowl at the refs he just gets multiple game suspensions for kicking a guy in the face and gets into a huge fight with his own teammates during a game. Oh yes I wish Blake was more like Kevin who really knows how to handle his emotions better.
    - Clips4
      
      That was just a one-time deal. It’s not like Love repeatedly does it. He does not have the reputation as a dirty player. Blake has the reputation of whining to the refs and being a diva now.
      - Jazzclip5
        
        The point I was making is that every little thing Blake does is exaggerated especially on this blog every fault is magnified including his whining and there is this idea that all these other players in the league aren’t whining or aren’t causing problems on their own teams. It’s like Blake’s flaws are magnified and there’s some ridiculous belief that guys like K. Love are perfect I’m just pointing out that they all have issues so people should stop acting like Blake’s whining is this team’s biggest problem or like this clips would be so much better with another PF
      - Clips4
        
        It shows on the court when refs don’t give him calls he should be getting. I’m not saying that this team would be better with another PF. As it stands right now, Kevin Love is a better player and a superior player to Blake Griffin. There is no arguing that fact. Blake’s ceiling is much higher than Love’s and in two or three years, Blake will be the best PF in the league.
jjjjc3

This is me just thinking out loud so please do not think that I am stating this as fact. Blake was basically given the keys to the franchise last season with his breakout rookie campaign but now that CP3 is here there may be some jealousy and there could be a divide in the locker room. The team that really looked like they were having a blast at the beginning of the season is gone and now they look like they just want to make it through the season. Like I said, I’m just thinking, but I just don’t see the same attitude in their faces anymore, especially Blake.
Steve

At the game yesterday and it was very interesting to see the player body language, especially DJ when he got pulled. He’s walking verrry slowly back to the bench and nothing from VDN, no hand tap, no words exchanged, etc. VDN has totally ruined whatever chemistry they might have had early on. We need a new coach stat….

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